Operating unit for adjustable redframes



Now-25, 1941. J. 1.. PETERSON 2,263,734

' OPERATING UNIT FOR ADJUSTABLE BEDFRAMES Filed July 21, 19:59 3 Shet's-Sheet 1 James Lloyd e lenson,

3 Sheeis-Sheet 2 J. L. PETERSON OPERATING UNIT FOR ADJUSTABLE BEDFRAMES Filed July 21, 1.959

Nov. 25, 1941.

esL Zo yd Pefierscin,

Nov. 25, 1941. J. L. PETERSON 2,263,734

- OPERATING UNIT FOR ADJUSTABLE BEDFRAMES Filed July 21, 1959 Y Y s She ets-Sh eet s lo yd Pefieraon,

Patented Nov.' 25, 194l x I UNITED OPERATING UNIT FOR ADJUSTABLE BEDFRAMES James Lloyd Peterson, r names Application July 21 1939, Serial No. 285,815

v 4 Claims. This invention relates to attachments for beds and, particularly, to means for actuating adjustable bed frames.

The primary object of the invention is to proan'actuating unit comprising hydraulically operated pistons for raising and lowering the adjustable portions of the 'bed, and a main control valve for controlling the flow of actuating fluid to and from said pistons, said valve being operable by connections from a control panel which may be installed on the bed frame at a point readily accessible to the patient occupying the bed.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described, and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is a plan view of a bed frame with the present unit installed;

Fig. 2- is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the main control valve;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of said valve with a portion of the casing broken away to illustrate certain portions of the enclosed mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-! of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 'l is a front elevation of the control panel;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the limit switches on the bed frame; and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatical illustration circuit for the motor pump.

The bed, especially adapted for hospital use, is of usual construction and comprises an adof the justable head section i and a knee section II,

each pivoted at i2 for vertical adjustment with respect to the bed frame proper. Journaled in the bed frame below these adjustable sections are two transverse members l3, H. Member l3 has. two lever arms l mounted thereon adjacent its ends, and these arms ii are connected by links I! to the head section In. Also mounted on member I3 is another arm ,li plvotallyv attachedto one end of a cylinder IS in which there is a piston is having a piston rod pivotaliy secured or clipped to the other member I by a collar 2 i. Thus, by supplying fluid under pressure to the cylinder, the latter will be forced away from cross member 14 and the head section raised through the links and levers attached to cross member I3, which is capable of rocking in its bearings. When the cylinder is drained of the actuating fluid, the head section gravitates to a lower position." Likewise, the knee section can be raised and lowered by a piston l9 in a cylinder I8, the piston rod 2ll' being clipped to cross member l3 while the cylinder has pivotally attached thereto an arm 18" mounted on cross member I4 which, in turn, is provided at its ends with arms l3 pivotally connected to the knee section by links H.

Actuating fluid stored in a sump 22 is supplied through conduits 23, 24, to cylinders l8, l8, respectively. Preferably, an oil is used, and is forced through said conduits by a pump (indicated diagrammatically at 25) submerged in the oil in the sump. Preferably, the pump is driven. from the shaft of an electric motor 26 which is mounted on a bracket 21 fixed to the sump. In order to prevent vibrations being imparted to the bed frame by the unit thus far described, the sump and motor are suspended from the frame by springs 28. a

The flow of actuating fluid from and to the sump is governed by a main control valve within the sump. It consists essentially of a rotatable valve member 29 in a casing 30 having ports 3|, 32 and 33'therein. The pressure side of pump 25 is connected to port 3| by conduit and an elongated, circumferential recess 35 in the surface of valve 29 is adapted to establish communication between port 3| and either of ports 32, 33, as desired by the operator, it only being necessary to rotate the valve 29 in its casing. A stem 36 on the valve is provided with a disc 31 having an annular groove in its periphery and secured insaid groove is an operating connecting element such as a length of piano wire 38. Ports 32, 33, are connected to supply lines 23, 24, respectively, and, as will be readily understood, fluid can be supplied to either cylinder by properly manipulating valve 29. Within the sump, the supply lines 23, 24, are provided with bypasses Oil exhaust lines 23, 24', connected to a tubular valve member 33 having a valve 40 therein normally closing both by-passes, but which can be reciprocated in said tubular member 39 by an operating connection such as a length of piano wire 4|. To insure retention of the wire 88 in the peripheral groove of disc 81, a guard 42 may be provided.

The operation of the motor 28 and pump 25 is governed by a mercury switch 42 pivotally sup ported in the interior of sump 22. The switch depends from its fulcrum 43 and, projecting beyond the fulcrum, is a bifurcated member 44. Positioned between the bifurcations of said member is an actuating arm 45 mounted on the disc 31 of valve 29, so that rotation of the disc will rock the switch to immerse either of the contacts 46, 41 of the switch in the body of mercury 88 in which a third contact 49 is permanently submerged. By thus placing one or the other of contacts 46, 41 in the mercury, an electric circuit is established through motor 26, this circuit running from the source of current or main switch 50 through line to the mercury switch, then by line 52 to the motor and then by return line 53 to the main switch, as illustrated in Fig. 6.

Preferably, line 5| has limit switches 54, 55, in-

terposed therein for breaking the motor circuit in the event the head or foot sections, respectively, are raised above a predetermined elevation. These limit switches may be of any desired construction and can be positioned on the bed frame to be actuated or opened by being engaged by the adjustable sections when the latter reach a certain elevation.

Assuming the mercury switch to be in neutral position; the adjustable bed frame sections to be in -their lowered positions with the cylinders l8, l8,

empty and by-passes 23 24 closed; and valve 29 also in neutral position, if it is desired to raise the head section, wire 38 is manipulated to turn valve 29 in a clockwise direction until ports 3!, 32, are in communication through recess of said valve. This movement. of the valve will, at the same time, rock mercury switch 42 and close the motor circuit through contact 46 so that oil will be pumped from the sump to cylinder l8 to raise the head section. On the other hand, movement of valve 29 by wire 38 in the opposite or counterclockwise direction will place port 3i in communication with port 33 and, through arm #35, rock the mercury switch in the opposite direction to close the motor circuit through switch 67 with the result that oil will be pumped to cylinder 58 and the knee section of the bed raised. To lower the adjustable sections, it is a only necessary to move the valve 40 by means of wire 4i. Movement of said valve in one direction opens by-pass 23 to drain oil from cylinder it back into the sump and movement thereof in the opposite direction opens by-pass 24" to drain cylinder l8. It will be understood that either of the adjustable sections can be raised or lowered independently of the other.

The manipulation of the main valve unit through Wires 38, 4|, is preferably accomplished by the patient and, for this reason, these wires extend from the sump through a protective casing 54 to a control instrument 55 which may be clamped to the bed frame adjacent the head thereof where it will be readily accessible to the patient. This control instrument comprises control levers 56, 51, preferably of the bell crank type so that one arm of each lever can serve as an operating handle while the wires 38, 4!, are attached to the other arms thereof, respectively. Thus, rocking movement oi lever 56 will either push or pull wire 88 to rotate valve 29 in one direction or the other, depending upon which section is to be raised, and similar movement of lever 57 will slide valve 40 in one direction or the other, depending upon which section is to be lowered. Of course, the condition of the patient may be such that operation of the bed sections should be taken care of by an attendant. Under these circumstances, the control instrument would be placed at some other suitable point.

The present unit can be readily installed, and not only functions efliciently and quietly but, in addition, its operation is not at all disturbing to the patient, as no vibration is transmitted to the bed frame.

What I claim is:

1. In a motor pump unit, a fluid reservoir, two fluid lines extending from said reservoir, a pump in said reservoir for forcing fluid through said supply lines, a valve in said reservoir movable in opposite directions for selectively controlling flow of fluid through said lines, a motor for operating said pump, an electric circuit including said motor, a switch in said circuit, means for actuating and closing said switch by movement of said valve a predetermined distance in either direction, means for actuating said valve, and return connections for returning the pumped fluid to said reservoir.

2. In a motor pump unit, a fluid reservoir, supply lines leading from said reservoior, a pump in said reservoir, a motor for actuating said pump, .a rotary valve for selectively controlling flow of fluid from the pump through said supply lines, valve-controlled by-passes in said lines for drainin'g fluid therefrom back to the reservoir, a normally open electrical circuit for said motor, a pivoted switch for closing said circuit, and means carried by said rotary valve for rocking said switch on its pivotal center to close said circuit upon rotary movement of said valve a predetermined distance in either direction.

3. In a motor pump unit, a fluid reservoir, supply lines leading from said reservoir, 9. pump for forcing fluid from the reservoir through said lines, a rotary valve controlling said flow of fluid,

a disc on said valve, a motor for said pump, an I electrical circuit for said pump comprising a switch, an arm on said disc for closing and opening said switch upon rotation of the valve, a bypass in each supply line for returning fluid to the reservoir, a slide valve controlling the flow of fluid through said by-passes, and flexible connections for actuating said valves from a remote point.

4. In a motor pump unit, a fluid reservoir, supply lines leading from said reservoir, means for pumping fluid from the reservoir through said lines, a valve within said reservoir controlling said flow of fluid from the reservoir, a control switch within said reservoir for said pumping means, operating connections between the switch and said valve for actuating said switch, means for draining fluid from the supply lines back to the reservoir, a valve in the reservoir controlling the draining of said lines, and operating connections for both of said valves.

JAMES LLOYD PETERSON. 

